Guys Like You
by kitchournas
Summary: "Guys like him, they come in, they upset the apple cart."  Alternate ending for 2x24. What if Gina had arrived just a little bit later? What if Beckett had been able to say what she meant to? What if it was time to get honest?
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Season 2 finale. What if Gina had been delayed just a tiny little bit? This was supposed to be a short fluffy one shot. What on earth happened to it is beyond me._  
><em>This is my first time writing Caskett angst, English is not my native language and reviews make me happy as a squirrel.<em>

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><p>"This past year, working with you… I've had a really good time."<p>

"Yeah. me, too."

"So I'm just gonna say this…" She bit her lip and took a deep breath.

"You okay, Beckett?"

"I was wondering if your offer was still standing. About the Hamptons."Castle opened his mouth to answer but his mind went blank. He remained gaping and trying to form a coherent thought. He had not seen this coming. Beckett was looking at him, a little worried at his silence and more than a little embarrassed at having finally voiced what she had wanted to say all day. He finally managed to blurt out an answer.

"Of course! Yes, it's… But didn't you have plans with Demming?"

"I had. I… They got canceled."

"Oh. Really? Sorry to hear that." He sounded as if he did not know whether he was supposed to be sorry or not. She did not seem to be but he did not want to appear insensitive if things had gone wrong between her and Demming. But she simply shrugged.

"It's okay."

"Well, you're always welcome there, of course. But, er, I just…"

Before he could find a way to explain how his plans had changed, he was interrupted by a voice coming from behind him.

"Richard? You're ready?"

He saw Beckett's eyes dart towards the origin of the voice and her face fall as she pieced everything together. She was too late. He turned around to look at his ex-wife approaching with the worst timing she had ever shown.

"Hey, Gina."

When he looked back at Beckett, she had regained her composure and was shaking hands with Gina.

"Beckett, you remember Gina, my publisher?"

"Of course, we spoke the other day."

"Yes, I finally managed to get a hold of him".

As she spoke, Gina put her hand possessively on Castle's arm.

"So, are you both going to the Hamptons for the weekend?" Beckett asked.

"For the summer, actually. This way, I'll make sure he is a good boy and finishes his book."

Beckett had a weak smile.

"We should go, or we gonna be stuck in traffic." Gina seemed to have sensed the tension and wanted to escape as fast as possible before the situation turned to her disadvantage.

"Of course."

He looked at Beckett and searched his brain for something to say.

"Would you like to join us?" The word escaped his mouth without his wanting to. He was so desperate to set this hopeless situation right that the first thing that had come to him had just popped out of his mouth. He felt Gina's grip on his arm tighten and both women shot him a look. Gina was glaring at him; Beckett looked hurt and confused. She gave him a little smile that further tore apart his heart.

"Thanks, Castle, but no. I don't want to intrude on your holidays."

That final blow left him breathless. There was an uncomfortable silence.

"So, have a good holiday and I'll see you in the fall, Castle."

"See you in the fall." He answered with a voice that did not sound like his own. She looked at him and he was sure that her eyes were a little shinier than usual. She gave them one last smile and then walked away. He noticed that she headed towards her desk, and did not join the others who had apparently witnessed the whole exchange. Castle waved halfheartedly to them and got a few nods in return and one hostile glare from Lanie. He did not blame her. Oh, no, he did not. In fact, he would have happily let her tell him everything she thought of him for doing everything wrong, as usual. He probably would have let her hit him as much as she wanted, too. He deserved it.

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><p><em>TBC very soon, once I am done with my thesis.<br>_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Here are 2 tiny chapters for the price of one. Thank you to everyone who reviewed or added this story to your alerts. They all made my day._  
><em>In my head, Beckett's staying with Lanie while she looks for another apartment.<em>

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><p>Beckett sat down at her desk and started to look through a file that was sitting there. She could not focus on what she was reading. Her thoughts kept coming back to what had just happened. Why had she not accepted the first time he had talked of the Hamptons? Why could the two of them never seem to get to the point? And more importantly, how could she have not seen this coming? She should have foreseen that he would have a whole line of other women to choose from if she said no.<p>

_Stupid, stupid, stupid._

She heard footsteps approaching and looked up. Lanie was by her desk and she had her jacket on.

"Come on, you need a night out."

She was about to protest but suddenly felt very tired and simply nodded and complied.

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><p>As he looked at the lines of car stretching in front of them and tried to ignore Gina's fingers drumming on the wheel in annoyance, Castle cursed himself for being so stupid. Why did he have to ask Gina, of all people? Why did he so desperately need someone to come along? Why had he not gone on his own, it would have been so much better than this.<p>

_Stupid, stupid, stupid._

He looked sideways at Gina who sighed in exasperation for what felt like the hundredth time since they had gotten in the car. He could not do it. The perspective of spending the whole summer with her was making it hard to breathe. He looked as the traffic light turned red one more time and made a decision.

"I'm sorry. This was a terrible idea."


	3. Chapter 3

Her jacket was not there, a file lay abandoned on her desk, she was not here anymore. Esposito and Ryan, however, were still here and were looking at Castle suspiciously.

"Castle? What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for Beckett."

The two cops looked at each other and frowned. Ryan asked –

"What do you want from Beckett?"

Castle usually found very endearing the brotherly relationship between Beckett and the boys, but right now he did not have time to deal with two protective big brothers.

"To tell her that I'm an idiot."

"You _are_ an idiot," Esposito agreed.

"I'm glad that point is settled. Now, do you know where I can find her?"

"She and Lanie left together, not long after _you _left. I don't know where they went."

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><p>Castle quickly put two and two together. This was not good for him. If Beckett had left with Lanie, he would never manage to talk to her alone. He also could not help but think that their leaving together meant that she was probably taking it even harder than he had thought. And he had no way of knowing where they could have gone. He decided to try anyway and stormed out of the precinct. He barely heard Esposito calling him as he turned away and walked out of the room without a word. In the elevator, he tried to figure out where to look first. Was there any chance that she had gone back to Lanie's? Since he had no other leads for the moment, he decided to give it a shot anyway. He toyed with the idea of hailing a cab but remembered the state of the traffic and ran towards the subway.<p>

Luckily, someone was coming out just as he arrived at her building. He grabbed the door before it closed and entered. He had only gone to Lanie's place once before but he remembered distinctly where her apartment was situated. Outside the door, he took a breath and tried to gather his thoughts before ringing the bell. He felt a mixture of relief and fear as he heard the sound of someone coming to the door. The door opened and he found himself facing the medical examiner. Her first look of surprise was soon replaced a glare filled with annoyance.

"What are you doing here, Castle?"

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><p><em>TBC on Sunday or Monday if everything goes well.<em>


	4. Chapter 4

Beckett appeared in the entrance, coming to stand next to her friend, holding a glass of wine and her eyes met Castle's. Lanie turned around to look at her, too. Then, much to Castle's surprise and without his perceiving anything passing between the two women, Lanie grabbed a jacket and her keys.

"I think I'm gonna go for a while. I'll see you later."

"Lanie, you don't have to go."

"Sure I do, it's high time you two solved whatever you got going on here."d

Lanie smiled at her and brushed past Castle without another glance before disappearing at the end of the hallway.

"What do you want, Castle? Aren't you supposed to be heading to the Hamptons?"

"Well, weren't _you_ supposed to be off with Demming for the week-end?"

Apparently noticing that they were still standing at the door, Kate finally moved away from the door and gestured for the writer to come in. He followed the detective to the living room where an open bottle of wine and a second glass of wine vouched for Lanie's attempt to cheer up her friend.

"So?" Castle asked.

Beckett looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"So, what?"

"Why didn't you go with Demming?"

"I have to work…"

"Stop that. Enough already. You seemed ready to come to the Hamptons, then you say no because you have to work, then it turns out you already have a week-end planned with…Schlemming, and suddenly you want to come to the Hamptons. What is going on here?"

Castle's tone had turned out harsher than he meant but he decided that he would not apologize for it. Enough was enough; Lanie was right: it was high time they were honest with each other.

Kate sighed and sat on the sofa occupying the middle of the room. She was intently staring at her hands and would not look up.

"I broke up with Tom. Why aren't _you_ with Gina?"

"I don't think I can handle a whole summer with her. Asking her was a huge mistake."

"Then why did you?"

"I don't know. I didn't want to go on my own, I guess. And since you had plans, I felt like I needed some too."

Man, this honesty thing was not easy but it did feel sort of good to finally put all that out there.

"And if Gina had said no, were there other choices on the list?"

Apparently, she had caught on the honest mood but seriously, was that what she thought of him?

"That's really what you think? I asked you to come with me to the Hamptons because you happened to be around and when you said no, I just switched to plan B? You really don't know me, then."

"Oh, yes, I know you!"

The writer started when she suddenly stood up and almost yelled her answer. She went to lean on the window frame and finally looked at him. Her eyes were burning.

"I know guys like you. I know them _very_ well. They're charming and funny and they make you feel special. Then, some day, they get tired of you, they move on to the next one and you end up feeling like the biggest idiot on the planet. I know how to recognize guys like that. And apparently, I was right since as soon as I turned you down, you ran to the first woman you could think of to keep you company!"

Rick was too appalled to speak. He was trying his best to gather his thoughts and take in what he had just heard. This was wrong. This was very wrong. And where did that come from? What had he ever done for her to distrust him so much? Confusion written all over his face, he tried to speak.

"What? How can you… This was _not _what happened! I asked you about a thousand times and _you_, you were the one who had plans with Schlemming. Yes, I asked Gina after you turned me down. But she's not exactly a random woman or a one-night stand. We were _married._ You can't blame me for trying to have a nice holiday after you turn me down!"

He was still standing at the entrance of the room, not far from the front door.

"I think I'll go. I'm sorry for… whatever you seem to be accusing me of."

He turned around and had his hand on the handle when she called him back. He was kind of hoping she would but was ready to storm out if she had nothing more to say.

"Castle."

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><p><em>AN: It turned out a bit OOC, I'm sorry about that. More to come very soon.  
>Thank you so much to all of you who reviewed or added the story to your favourites or alerts.<br>I would __**really **__appreciate feedback on this one, so it would be great if you could let me know what you think, good or bad._


	5. Chapter 5

He tried to hide a relieved sigh when he heard her voice. He turned around and looked at her, determined to obtain a satisfying answer. Beckett had walked away from the window and stepped closer to him. The writer crossed his arms and waited. At any other time, his solemn pose would have made her laugh but at that moment, she knew what he expected and she could not bring herself to say it.

He kept that same position and waited. She was no longer looking at him but always seemed on the verge of saying something. Except she never did. And it was starting to get a little long. And awkward.

Castle was trying very hard to fight his instinct to blurt out some wiseass remark. Dammit, this was neither the time nor the place, so get a grip, man. Kate was slowly looking more and more agitated with every minute of silence that passed between them. She actually looked kind of scared, which was not a sight he was used to. Desperately wanting to help her out but without the slightest idea how, he did the only think he could think of. He went to sit on one end of the sofa and gestured for her to take the other end. For some reason, as soon as she was seated, she seemed to regain some composure.

"I'm sorry for what I said before. I might have overreacted."

"Yes, you might have." Castle tried to bite back the words but too late.

She looked up but did not seem hurt, just a little annoyed and he could live with that. Thankfully, she was used to his banter.

"Yeah well, I said I was sorry and I mean it."

"Can I ask, we've been working together for a year now, why don't you trust me?"

Honesty time was back on.

"I trust you. I mean, I know you have my back out there. I know that you are loyal and that you wouldn't let me down on a case. I think that's been made clear more than once. But outside the precinct, it's… it's different."

"But why? You think the people I love can't count on me?"

"No, of course not. I've seen you with Alexis and Martha, I know you'd give your life for them."

Castle had really hoped that she would pick up on the meaning of his words. But apparently, she had not. Oblivious as ever, she had thought he only meant his mother and daughter.

On her part, Beckett was finding the exercise harder and harder. She had rarely felt more at a loss for words and she _hated_ it. Come on, Kate, you deal with killers and creeps all day long and you can't make a point to the writer who plays laser tag with his sixteen-year-old daughter.

"It's just, when it comes to women…"

Castle sat up a little straighter and raised an eyebrow in anticipation. Finally.

"It's the way you look at them, any of them, your attitude. Always smiling, always charming to everyone, at your book signings, during parties, in the street, even during an investigation."

Well, she did have a point.

"You drive them all crazy with one smile, one clever joke and a few seconds of attention and then you forget you ever met them."

That was, maybe, a bit exaggerated.

"And from what I know, it's more or less the same with your romantic conquests. One smile, one drink, one night with Richard Castle and one more name on the list."

OK, that was really, really not… _entirely_ true. And did she really need to bring back the list metaphor? He did _not _have a list, for Christ's sake. Well, not anymore. But, come on, everybody makes mistakes. He was young, he had just published his first best-seller, girls were all over him… Anyway, back to the matter at hand.

"I told you on our first case, Castle. I won't be one of your conquests."

She drained her glass of wine, not quite believing that she had actually said all these things. Castle tried to focus on the general idea, but there was also something not openly stated that he needed to clear up.

"Do you mean… If you had come to the Hamptons and, and I had… made a move on you, you…"

"I'd probably have said yes."

Congratulations, genius. You screwed up everything fair and square.

"But this would have been a huge mistake."

"But why?" His words came out way more loudly than he had intended to and she started.

"What do you think would have happened afterwards? You'd have finished your book and gone back to your glamorous life and I'd have come back here and…"

And? He really wished she would end that sentence but she just made an evasive gesture. And things would have been awkward? And she would have asked him never to come back? And she would have been broken-hearted? And Ryan and Esposito would have been after him with all the ammunition they could get their hands on?

"I'm confused." The writer finally confessed.

"Yeah, well, I don't think this was a very good idea. Maybe you should go, we shouldn't have thrown Lanie out like that."

"What? You can't be serious? You just… you've said way too much or way too little! Either way, you can't just say stuff like that and expect me to drop it. I've had enough. We're doing this."

"I wish I could, but… I can't find… Oh god, I hate this, I feel like I'm fifteen again and I'm this inarticulate idiot. Things were so much simpler before you came in."

She stood up and pushed back her hair from her face while pacing nervously behind the sofa where Castle was still sitting.

She was losing patience. As much as he hated seeing her like this and feeling that this would somehow end up being all his fault, losing patience was kinda good. She might snap and spill it out and at least this whole mess would be much clearer.

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><p><em>AN: Well, that was a longer one._ _TBC_.  
><em>If you liked it or hated it or anything in between, please review, make me forget all about that Canadian weather.<em>  
><em>And I changed the rating to T, just in case, for the future. I'm not really sure about that rating system.<em>


	6. Chapter 6

_I know it's a little repetitive, but this is an argument and these two aren't the best at communicating about their feelings, so please, indulge me._

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><p>"OK. Time out. I have a few questions,something's bugging me."<p>

"Shoot."

"Just to make sure, where do you keep your gun?"

"Cut to the chase, Castle."

And try not to screw up this time.

"OK, fine. So, had it not been for Sch… Demming, you would have come to the Hamptons?"

"Probably, yes."

"You wanted to?"

She hesitated for a second.

"Yes."

"And you realized that… something might happen between us?"

"I kind of assumed this was your plan."

He shot her a hurt look and she corrected herself –

"Yes, I did realize this was a possibility."

"Is that the real reason why you turned me down? Not because you had to work or even because you were with Demming?"

"Maybe. Yes. Partly."

If any of them had been able to notice, they would probably both have enjoyed the uncanny similarity with their daily interviews with suspects

"Now, when you said you wouldn't be another of my conquests, what did you mean?"

"You know what I meant."

"No, I don't actually. That's the part I don't get. So I need you to enlighten me on this. What do you think would have happened if we had slept together while in the Hamptons?"

She looked a little awed by his sheer honesty and bluntness.

"Well, I don't know how you usually proceed, but I assume I would be back in New-York by the following day with a thank you and a good-bye. Or are you the kind who mysteriously disappears in the morning never to return?"

If asked, Castle could probably never admit or even find words to express how much this hurt him. Was this really the image he had given her? He knew he was not always the most reliable person in the world, especially with women, it was true but he assumed he had proved himself to be more than that in the past year. He was not sure he was going to walk out of this talk safe and sound.

"So that's what you meant when you were talking of that list and being one of my conquests. That I would disappear and you'd never hear from me again? That I could just have sex with you and then just throw you away when I was done?"

Well, there was definitely something in his tone and she was not so sure anymore.

"What on earth could possibly give you this idea?"

"That's not very hard, you were very happy to provide the details of some of your encounters with whatever girl…"

This was ridiculous.

"But you're not _whatever girl_!" He finally let out, once again too loudly.

For one of the smartest persons he had ever met, she could truly be quite obtuse sometimes.

"What does that mean?"

"It means you can't possibly compare yourself with those girls I slept with, who by the way knew exactly what they were getting into and were more than happy to tell everyone they had banged the guy who created Derek Storm. It means that I would never, never do something like that to you."

"But why would I be any different?"

"Because I love you! And I don't want you to be one of my conquests and I don't want to be one of yours. If we had slept together, I would never have left or asked you to leave afterwards. I could never do that. And that's because I love you and I want to be with you and this whole… _thing_ here between us, it's killing me. So you need to stop thinking that you're just any girl that would come and go. How could you not see that?"

Oh. Man. The silence following his outburst was _awful_. He wanted to take it back so bad. Why the hell did he have to come and demand an explanation? He had ruined _everything_. Sure enough, after standing for a while with a shocked expression on her face and her mouth slightly gaping, she stormed out of the apartment without a word or a backward glance.

Well done, Rick. Really, good job, you fucking genius.

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><p><em>I need to stop listening to The Swell Season while writing. It makes me want to torture characters.<br>More to come next week-end._


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: Man, I love writing angst. I could keep this up forever. (I won't though)._

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><p>A while later, he could not really tell how long, it could have been one hour, it could have been 6 months, it was probably closer to ten minutes, Castle realized that he had been sitting with his head in his hands on Lanie's couch ever since Beckett had disappeared. Everything was kind of blurry. Had everything actually happened? Had he really said what he thought he had? The fact that he was alone in an unfamiliar room feeling as if he had been slapped and then repeatedly kicked in the guts made him think that yes, it must have happened and yes, those words must have been exchanged. Even though he knew how pathetic it was to stay here trying to remember every single word they had exchanged, every single feeling that had transpired on her face and mourning the probable loss of a life he had loved so much, he couldn't move. His knees were shaking and he felt more tired than ever. So he stayed here. Just for a little bit longer. And a little bit more. He would go very soon. It was not like he had to hurry home, nobody was expecting him there. So he just stayed here, on Lanie's sofa, his eyes automatically scanning the room without registering much. Going home would mean that he had to face the fact that he would probably never set foot at the precinct again and that he had to go back to his old life. He always thought he had been happy before but right now, his old life looked a lot like hell.<p>

He heard the key turn in the lock and the front door open but somehow, the information did not really went all the way to his brain. Any normal day, he would immediately have started looking for a viable excuse and a way to charm his way out of this bizarre situation. But that day had been anything but normal.

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><p>Lanie opened the front door just enough to lean in and listen to what was going on inside. Everything was silent so she let herself in, assuming that they had left to celebrate. She was certainly not prepared for the sight of Castle sitting on her couch, in the semi-darkness of the falling evening, his chin in his hands, staring ahead of him at nothing in particular. She stopped dead in the doorframe of the room. From where she was she could not really distinguish his expression. With Kate gone, her mind immediately jumped to conclusions and she exclaimed:<p>

"What the hell is going on here?"

He started violently and turned towards her, his face the very image of confusion.

"What are you doing here? And what did you to her this time?"

She did not even wait for the answer, which Rick would have been quite unable to provide anyway.

"Seriously, what is wrong with you? You two are supposed to be adults, how can you not deal with this like adults do once and for all? So, will you explain why are you on your own in my apartment and what the hell you told Kate to make her run away?"

That's when she finally took a good look at his face. Her anger ran out immediately and she took a step closer.

"Castle?"

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><p><em>AN: I do realize that I've been unfair on Kate. I actually really love her but I felt like siding with Castle on this one. (And I kind of blame her for the whole Josh fiasco, so this is my revenge). And I'll make it up._


	8. Chapter 8

The precinct was almost empty. A lot of people had already left to enjoy their week-end. Captain Montgomery, however, was still here. He had been about to leave when he had seen his best detective come back in and sit down at her desk, her face an undecipherable mask. He had toyed with the idea of going to talk to her but had finally renounced. Like the others, he had witnessed the scene outside the break room. He had seen her and Lanie leave together. He had seen Castle come back and run after her. He had done his part, he had told her what he thought, he would not interfere anymore. But now, even with his family waiting for him at home, he could not make himself leave and abandon her here. So he stayed and looked at her from time to time, ready to stand up if he felt that she needed him.

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><p>Kate's phone rang and she picked up automatically.<p>

"Beckett."

"What did you do to the poor guy? I swear, you two are going to be the death of me."

"What?"

The voice on the other end of the line finally drew her out of her reverie. She looked around her. Oh, right, the precinct. She had come here without really realizing it, just because this was usually the place where she found answers. She had sat down and started doing paperwork. Unfortunately, the kind of answers she needed could not be found here.

"It's Lanie. Where are you and why is Castle in my apartment looking like someone has run over his entire family?"

"I'm at the precinct. Wait, he's still there? Why? What did he tell you?"

"He said nothing and I'll be the one asking questions here, if you will."

"Of course."

One did not argue with Dr Lanie Parish when she was using this tone of voice.

"Why are you at the precinct and why is he here? I left you two alone for, I swear, less than an hour!"

"I left."

"Yeah, I kind of figured that one out on my own, thanks. What I'd like to know is why? Did he say something stupid? Did he do something even more stupid? Did _you _say something stupid?"

She would not let it go until she had a satisfying answer.

"'Cause from the look on his face, that last one seems the most plausible."

"Well, ..."

And there, she found herself incapable of explaining. Wait, what _had _happened in there?

"I didn't say anything stupid, it's..." Yeah, that was the problem, she had not said anything. "Listen, Lanie, I can't talk right now."

"Oh, no, you're not getting away with it. You left that poor guy in my apartment, you owe me a little more than that."

"Fine. I'll tell you everything but right now, I think I need to apologize."

"Yeah, you probably do."

"Thanks, Lanie, you're a great friend."

"Hey, don't you be sarcastic at me. I'm not the one who broke a guy's heart and then left him alone _in somebody else's apartment_. So, I'm sending him home, and you get your ass there and fix this. Then you come back

here and tell me everything. Unless, you know, you guys are too busy..."

"Bye Lanie."

She hung up without letting her friend finish.

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><p>"Go home, Castle."<p>

The writer stood up without protesting and made his way towards the front door.

"And stay there, cause I can assure you, you're not done for tonight. She's joining you there."

"No. No way. I'm not doing this again. Ever."

"Oh, yes, you are. You'll wait for her and you'll open the door when she rings the bell. And if you don't, I'll know it and don't forget where I work. I know people. Lots of people." She raised an eyebrow and leaned towards him to make her threat more convincing. He raised his hands in defence.

"Okay. Fine, I will. But I hold you personally responsible for anything that might happen from now on. And I know people, too. And there's not on the same side of the law as you."

"I'll take the chance. Now, get out."

She closed the door behind him, walked back into the living room and sat down on the sofa. Now, all she had to do was wait.

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><p><em>AN: I swear I tried to write more angry or protective Lanie but it turns out that I can't. Sorry.  
>More next week-end.<br>_


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: Sorry, sorry, sorry. Work was crazy,my thesis was a pain and I suffered from major post-finale writer's block...  
>Anyway, here's a new chapter! It's super short but chapter 10 is on its way, I swear.<em>

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><p>Kate Beckett was not a quitter. Not in her job, not in her personal life. She was not one to be easily scared off. Even when facing the unpredictable, she always stood her ground and fought back. Yes. She did not let go. She did not back down. So what had happened? Why had she ran? Why had she, in plain words, freaked out? The confession was unexpected, that was for sure. She had always functioned under the assumption that Richard Castle could not fall in love, that he used women, that he could not be trusted in matters of the heart. As far as she was concerned, he was a playboy, a ladies' man and he would never change. She had based her attitude towards him, his charming ways and flirty manners on the belief that whatever she was feeling for him would remain unrequited. The confession had taken her by surprise, it had shattered the whole shield she had built around her for defense. Now, she felt lost. All her certitudes had been proven wrong. This is why the only reaction her body had been able to produce was to run away. Leave the place where nothing was sure and go where all was safe and familiar. Thinking back on it, it was probably not her best idea.<p>

As she entered the Castles' building, she started to imagine how this would go. And she had no idea. She could not imagine what Castle's reaction would be, she did not even know if he would let her in. She did not even know what she could say. As she finally reached his front door, she stopped for a second. She took a deep breath and pressed the doorbell.

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><p>Castle was at home but it did not feel right. The loft was too big, too quiet, too empty. He could not sit still. Ever since he had hung up his phone, he was pacing nervously around the living room, sitting at his desk for a while, then heading to the kitchen, considering making coffee, going to sit on the sofa and starting all over again. At one point, he had taken out his phone and almost called his mother for advice but had finally decided against it. He would see this through on his own. Nobody should interfere anymore. Ok, so, the one time they had tried to work it out on their own had not really been a success but she was on her way here and he was waiting. He knew he had to face it. He was now in a position of weakness and he hated it. He hated it because it was so unfamiliar, his whole world had been turned upside down and he had no idea how he was supposed to act. In consequence, he took a resolution. He would not be taken in again. He would be honest, but he would not let himself get carried away. He would brace himself for whatever was coming. He took a deep breath and nodded decidedly to himself to assert his resolve. And then, he felt sick. He might be able to keep up appearances but no matter how hard he tried, he could not fool himself. He was scared to death. However, he did not have time to dwell on that feeling. The doorbell rang.<p> 


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: I __**swear**__ (again), I meant to update so much sooner. But everything got crazy at work and this chapter gave me hell to write and just as I wanted to write the last sentence, I lost everything. I hate you, computer.  
>Also, apparently, listening to the Aladdin soundtrack does not really help writing this kind of scene. Who knew?<em>

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><p>She was standing behind the door. They stayed there for juste a second too long, without a word passing between each other.<p>

"Hello."

"Hello."

"Please, come in."

A cold, formal greeting, perfectly ridiculous given the situation. The writer took a step back to let her in. She entered the loft and then hovered, uncertain about what to do or where to go. Meanwhile, Castle was fumbling with his keys and taking forever to close the door. He turned towards her and seeing her hesitation, gestured towards the sofa.

They sat, as far as possible from the other. Now, all they had left to do was decide who was going to break the silence first.

"So."

"So?"

"I left a bit quickly before."

"You did."

An outsider looking at them could have believed they were two strangers exchanging banalities.

"I'm sorry."

"Can I ask, what... What was... Why?"

Well, that was eloquent, Rick.

"I was suprised."

"Surprised?"

What the hell? Was she going to speak in code again?

"Surprised? By what?"

"By what you said."

"That I love you?"

"Yes."

Seriously, was she blind or something? And then, something clicked.

"You were surprised? Oh, right. You mentioned it before. Guys like me can't love."

Incomprehension was giving way to bitter realization. Even if Casytle was still trying to stand his ground, he was beginning to feel that this conversation would lead them nowhere. Nowhere satisfying, at least.

"It's not just that. I was not expecting it."

Castle looked at her blankly, wondering if he was being particularly dim that day or if she was being over-cryptic.

"Plain words, _please_?"

"OK. The reason I left like this is that I had never considered this possibility and I could not factor it in. I had it all figured out. I was trying to move on and not dwell on this... thing between us because I thought you were just in for the fun. And somehow, you leaving with your ex-wife confirmed what I was thinking. But then, when you said that, it kind of shattered my theory and I had to process this new element. That's why I left, I guess. And I'm sorry I ran. I did not want you to take it the wrong way. I did not mean to hurt you. Because I love you, too."

Even if he could not imagine that she would be so cruel, he searched her face for any indication that she might be mocking him. That was certainly a confusing speech. He found nothing but a faint blush on her cheeks, the shadow of a smile on her lips and utter sincerity in her eyes.

He smiled.

With a sense of relief, Kate's smile grew in response. His smile grew wider and lit up his whole face. His eyes looked even brighter than when he was proudly gauging reactions after one of his witty quips.

Suddenly, all was forgiven if not yet forgotten. Demming, Gina, the Hamptons, the misunderstandings, the tension, the innuendos and the questions. There were just the two of them. And their smiles.

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><p><em>AN: Man, these chapters are tiny. Final chapter coming... I want to say soon but I'm done making promises I can't keep. Let's say as soon as possible._


	11. Epilogue

The doors of the elevators opened and Lanie stepped out and into the precinct. She immediately ran into Esposito and Ryan who were holding cups of steaming coffee and heading for their desks.

"Hey Lanie. You got some news on our case?"

"That's not why I'm here."

"What's up, then?"

"Did you see them?"

The two partners exchanged a look of confusion.

"Beckett and Castle." Lanie said with a bit of exasperation.

"No, we just got here."

"Both of you?"

The two cops looked at each other and shrugged. They all headed towards the desks and saw that Castle and Beckett were already here. Ryan and Esposito sat down and Lanie stood by the desks. After shooting several not-so-discreet looks in the direction of the writer and his muse, Ryan sighed.

"Don't tell me it's all been for nothing."

"Yeah, how can they be going on like they always do?"

Lanie tried to suppress the grin on her face and rolled her eyes.

"You, idiots."

She received the same blank look from both of them and couldn't help laughing.

"What?"

"Look at them." She insisted.

They did. Castle was sitting on his usual chair, by Beckett's desk. She was filling out paperwork while he was leaning over and talking to her. He gestured excitedly and she pushed back his hand with a hint of annoyance.

Ryan and Esposito looked back at Lanie with the same uncomprehending look on their face. All they were seeing was the same usual Castle and Beckett, which puzzled them both. They had seriously been hoping that the writer had found her the night before and that they had finally figured things out. Well, maybe they were meant to go on that way forever, driving themselves and all their entourage crazy.

Lanie shook her head.

"Look better."

So they looked again. And then, they saw.

They saw her gesture of annoyance contradicted by the soft look in her eyes. They saw his hand finally pulling away and brushing along her sleeve in a tender manner. They saw how their bodies leaned towards one another as if drawn by a magnet and some kind of vibration emanating from the two of them.

Ryan and Esposito turned to Lanie, mouth gaping, brows furrowed in doubt. She nodded and all three went back to looking at their friends. They were not really worried about being caught staring.

Neither Castle nor Beckett would have noticed anything anyway.

_The end_

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><p><em>AN: Sorry if you were expecting lovey-dovey Caskett. I can't write fluff, my brain won't process it.  
>Sorry again for the super messy updates. That was definitely the worst possible time to start uploading this.<br>Thank you to everybody who sticked around and thank you for reading._

_I'll be back soon!  
><em>


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